DNA killed Shashi Kapoor…well almost!

Isn’t it interesting that the communication progression worldwide has never brought out so many stories of faux pas that it does today? What seems jarring though isn’t the rate of the miscommunication but the high-profile participants who fall for such indelible mistakes.

The cases of damaged brand reputations across the world continue to aggregate as a result of adopting social media with an unplanned strategy or underestimating the power of social media. An addition to the ‘honorary’ list is DNA, an Indian daily English newspaper.

Like other news mediums DNA too owns a Twitter handle that updates the latest news stories. Sadly, for its lack of journalistic standards it tweeted on 10^th January 2011 afternoon that Actor Shashi Kapoor is dead. This piece of news spread like fire in the ‘Twitterverse’ and while people were expressing their grief over the erstwhile superstar actor’s death, DNA sent an apology tweet which said, “Apologies. Shashi Kapoor is alive. Confirmed.”

Not to forget that the trending hashtag during the day was #chormedia! This incident gave the tweeples an opportunity to bombard DNA with abuses and poke fun at its nonchalant news reporting. In a few minutes the top tweet that followed was, “No One Killed Jessica but DNA Killed Shashi Kapoor!”

Herein lay DNA’s two mistakes.

First Mistake- it did not rely to the universal journalist code by failing to cross confirm the news of the demise with the hospital which led to the loss of credibility. DNA later clarified that the news came from a trusted source.

Learning: Hear it from the horse’s mouth! In this case the hospital or the Kapoor family.

Second Mistake- Underestimating Twitter. While on Facebook the sharing is limited to the ‘friends’ on Twitter anyone from the ‘Twitterverse’ can retweet a message irrespective of the followership. Twitter is the most preferred medium for brands due its combustible attribute and its real-time WoM dissemination capability. The demise of the actor was significant news and thus it took hardly a minute for it to be retweeted by hundreds on twitter. By the time the apology came, it was late and DNA could not bring the situation under control.

Learning- Know the strengths and weaknesses of your medium well before you start.

Brands that operate on social media live on the thin line between backfire and appreciation. Most brands which we see on social media exist to contest for followers, likes, etc. It won’t be wrong to say that a few brands also operate in an immature manner hinting that social media is seen as ‘Any Man’s Job’.

Yet there are brands like Dell, JetBlue, NakedPizza, etc that make social media proud by their innovative strategies of engagement with their audiences. Whether DNA has learnt from the incident I do not know, but I am as glad as everyone that Shashi Kapoor is alive!

Religion- The Brand You Never Chose

Religion- The Brand You Never Chose

For a student of Marketing Management there is no bunker that can save him from the marketing models which continue to confuse the students with their degree of relevancy in present times. One of such models is consumer decision making process which explains how we make our decision. Before studying the course we thought a decision is made by saying a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ but to our folly we found that is programmed too!

The major steps involved in decision making process are need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase and post purchase. Also, the experts have mentioned that a consumer is the end user of the product or the service offered.

Given such a backdrop I wondered how well would an infant fit into the consumer decision making process given his noninterference beyond need recognition. In such a case as an infant we were not just deprived of making the choice of a brand but a few ‘brands’ have become indispensable to our lives since beginning. One such brand is religion.

Religion, inarguably, is the most powerful brand across countries. It also strongly defines the cultural landscape of the region to which other brands adhere. This brand is recognized by the strongest logos, symbols, values, associations and occupies a vast space in the minds of the consumer.

The unique position through which the ‘brand’ interacts with a highly receptive new born allows it to be perceived as an essential. The communicators of the brand religion- the parents, immediate family- are by default the most trusted medium of communication. The benefit derived from brand religion may be different to various sects. While for some the benefit derived is ‘nirvana’ for others it could be ‘accumulation of wealth’ but for the young ones there is no personal benefit in any given situation. By the time one grows up to be able to understand the environment the ‘brand’ has already become an imperative part of that individual.

Coming back to consumer decision process, it is interesting to note that we have been ‘consuming’ religion as a brand without recognizing the need in the first place (forget evaluating alternatives!). Inspite of being irreverent to the decision making process we have transformed into staunch brand loyalists wherein we wishfully donate wealth on religious grounds without giving it a second thought, but when the question arrives of helping the needy we comfortably refuse.

Bloemer and Kasper mention attributes of a true brand loyalty as (a) biased, (b)behavioral response, (c)expressed over time, (d)by some decision-making unit, with respect to one or more alternate brands and (e)psychological process resulting in brand commitment. Current communal tension exemplifies the presence of above five attributes found in the practitioners of religion.

Understanding profoundly what makes religion establish a powerful connect could help marketers when formulating the marketing strategy for their brands. For example, ‘finding oneself’ is acknowledged across all forms of religions. Thus, the brands that inspire great action leading to individuality (Apple, Harley Davidson) have successfully managed to create a brand religion of their own.

In India, two other such brands that follow impregnable loyalty after religion are cricket and cinema. Yet as a brand religion cannot be categorized as top-of-mind of bottom of the mind, instead it is a ‘back of the mind’ brand which defies most marketing ‘fundas’ applied prevalent today. Interestingly using the same models marketers try to make their brands a religion. Those who are able to find such affiliation continue to live as ‘Classic’ brands and others thrive for the materialistic gains!

“Live from Peepli”

Not often do we come across a movie on the silver screen which defies from the Cinderella storytelling, serves you the harsh reality on a steel plate as it tickles your funny bone and points fingers at a socially accepted norm. Peepli Live is one such movie which takes you in a remote village of India scoffing at the serious issue of farmer suicide which is entangled in the unruly mess of media and politics.

Peepli Live is the story of the sibling farmers namely Natha and Budhia who lose their land to the bank on nonpayment of the loan. The piece of land being their last asset left they visit the local politician and plead him for monetary support. The disdainful politician insults them and suggests that they commit suicide to benefit from the government scheme that supports the families of those farmers who chose to do the same. A witty conversation follows where Budhiya convinces Natha to sacrifice his life for the sake of their ancestral property. Rakesh, a local reported manages to capture this news in the local newspaper which turns into a prologue of media frenzy and political debate.

The movie wears a coarse coat throughout and flaunts its non celebrity actors who make you roll in the aisles with their peculiarly accented dialogues. Natha is a timid man who is beaten by his wife, overpowered by his brother and ridiculed by his children. He is hesitant on expressing his desire to live but that desire too is nullified by his brother and the media. It also shows how futile is the life of a poor farmer unless he turns it into a sort of entertainment, in this case- a live suicide.

Peepli Live doesn’t fail to make fun of the cosmetic politicians at the ground level. Natha’s suicide is a golden opportunity for the opposition to take pots at the ruling party while the party in command tries all possible solution to save Natha from committing suicide. Caste-based political drama of politicians and their goons is not new to the Bollywood industry but it is the treatment of the issue which is commendable in the movie.

Director Anusha Rizvi has taken immense pleasure in attacking the media for its foolishness and lack of newsworthiness which is highly relevant in the 24x7 news era. The fight between the news channels to broadcast the “exclusive” glimpse of Natha when he goes in the fields to beckon his nature’s call makes you fall off your chairs. The overzealous media turns the quiet subdued village into a “mela” as Peepli becomes a talk of the nation. Meanwhile the media scripts not just the answers and opinions of the respondents from villages but also manages to get the Devi Mata’s prophecy on their side, all for the sake of TRPs.

The actors are the torch bearers of Peepli Live although “Amma” (Natha’s mother) remains the show stealer when it comes to tickling the audiences. The performances are real, crude and give life to the black humor that lines the script. The much loved song “Mahangai Dayan” is entertaining but it is the Indian Ocean’s “Des Mera Rangrezi” that adds spark to the situations.

Director Anusha Rizvi’s has debuted with a strong punch and a strong backing by Aamir Khan and UTV Motion Pictures. It would be saddening if Peepli Live becomes an Aamir Khan movie and the brain behind it is forgotten. However one wonders if Peepli Live could manage to get audiences rush to theatres had Mr. Khan not associated with it.

What’s Uncommon in the Commonwealth Games?

The only law that seems to be in vogue and trusted is the Murphy’s Law. Suresh Kalmadi would agree that in spite of having left no stone unturned to make the Commonwealth Games a memorable feather in his hat, all the efforts have been rubbished with critics rebuking him to be a ringmaster.

The Games still have time to kickoff in Delhi but the political squabbling has surfaced intermittently. While Mani Shankar Iyer’s comment on wastage of public money on events to uphold national prestige is worth pondering, but does it justify abstaining from hosting international events because of the prevailing economic disparity?

Moreover Commonwealth Games has landed in a putrid scam with overpriced items and refusal on the part of the organizing committee to share the unrecorded financial dealings with the various companies, marring India’s image in the international arena. Major sponsors are rethinking on their association with the Commonwealth Games as what could have become national pride has now turned into a national shame.

While the past cannot be undone and the controversies won’t rest, efforts must be channelized to keep the show afloat. Hence the measures to enable India to conduct the event must simultaneously go along with the probe into the scam. If the India fails to conduct the Games this year, it will take away a bundle of opportunities and credibility of the nation to hold mega events in future along with its pride.

Games are expected to give a boost to the tourism sector thus helping the national economy. For a nation which is still seen as a country of snake charmers, this event provides a great opportunity to nullify the perception and exhibit its technological and infrastructural base as an emerging power. It is also quite evident that inflow of the foreign exchange funds would fuel further international transactions of India.

It is interesting to note that Mani Shankar Iyer is concerned about a majority of the youth not being able to access basic sports facilities and that there is no doubt that hosting Commonwealth Games opens up new vistas in sports in a country that is spellbound by cricket. Would the critics hold the similar opinion had India organized a Cricket World Cup instead of the Commonwealth?

The solution does not lie in abstaining from organizing such events but in dealing with the challenges and resolving the bureaucratic deadlocks which we confront in such situations. It is a valid opinion that the money spent on the Games could have overcome the obstacles for those facing poverty and everyday challenges of living. Or would it? Have there not been enough government schemes and allocated funds that have failed to trickle down to those for whom it was meant owing to rampant corruption. For this reason is the argument justified that (only) Commonwealth Games is a waste of public money?

There are lessons to be learnt from South Africa and China- the organizers of last two biggest sporting events. China, an undemocratic state, did a commendable job by organizing the Winter Olympics. South Africa too has emerged as the most preferred tourism destination after World Cup Soccer 2010. Other than marking their space on the world map they also benefitted with an increasing economy which included job creation, better transportation, roads, safer environment and access to public sports facilities.

For once the capital sorted out the problems of delayed flyover constructions and dug up metro tracks. It looks refreshing and all set to invite the event with a warm welcome. True that there were huge costs involved due to the perennial chaos caused by authorities that led to severe incoordination but that need not blame the opportunity that Commonwealth Games bring along.

There are numerous other challenges that we face every day be it external and internal, terrorism and price rise. But tackling corruption remains the biggest challenge throughout this country primarily because it seems in the country of Gods the moral and ethical values are restricted to its religious texts and scriptures.

Just like that!

A Brand Graveyard

When everyone in the world talks about winning and eulogizes success, here is a book that prefers to showcase failures. Brand Failures, the book by Matt Haig, changes the perspective of success by completely entertaining the reader as it takes him through the 100 Biggest Branding Mistakes of All Time.

Brand Failures is an amusing narration of how the biggest brands failed to crack the market. What is further interesting is that these companies at fault are not just small scale enterprises but global giants whose managerial decisions have fallen flat. The ‘honored’ list includes Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mc Donalds, Virgin, Harley Davidson, British Airways to name a few.

Matt Haig’s hall of failure is categorized into Classic Failures, Idea Failures, Extension Failures, PR Failures, Cultural Failures, People Failures, Rebranding Failures, Internet and technology failures and Tired Brands.

The book divulges the brand with the ultimate bad idea of smokeless cigarettes, classic failure of Ford Edsel, Barbie’s boyfriend Ken’s ‘coming out of closet’, boo.com’s spectacular failure in dot.com era amongst many more.

‘Cultural Failures’ forms the most enrapturing read. Matt Haig has collected classic cases of cultural misfits. To quote one- Scandinavian vaccum manufacturer Electrolux came up with the slogan, ‘Nothing sucks like an Electrolux’ in United States.

Through his engrossing writing style and well researched cases Matt Haig also deconstructs the brand myths such as ‘good products always sell, strong brands are built on advertising, if it is new it will sell and big companies always have brand success.’

The saying, “Learn from the failures of others”, gets further restated but only after one has had a good laugh on the failure. In the end of each case Matt Haig has listed what one could learn from these brand failures. In these learnings Matt Haig helps the reader to analyze what really went wrong. The book also mentions the bounce back of a few companies who took the bitter with the sweet.

The book is a compelling read for all those who love creating and talking about brands. It is highly entertaining and gives fascinating facts about ‘Branding’ which one realizes after reading is no piece of cake. The author though has cautioned in the introduction-“Don’t have nightmares.”

Click Me Please!

I split my sides when I receive a friend request from a ‘Cool Boy’ with a message that says,” Will you ‘do friendship’ with me?” Visit ‘Cool Boy’s’ profile and you may feel the need to recheck how a dictionary defines cool!

Like most, I too am a frequent visitor at the social networking sites. I wonder if we share the privilege of stumbling upon such whacky profiles on Orkut, Facebook, Ibibo etc. Profiles with elements like superhuman names, photographs, larger than life self description, seem to work as a rule of social networking.

We often look at our photographs and think, “Do I look like that?” We live with assumptions. And we wish to be recognized the way we see ourselves, irrespective of what we really are.

Social networking gives us just that, a platform to project ourselves to the world according to our way. The advantage is that people have no other option but to believe what is served to them. It is a shift from reality, a virtual space where we may design our identity according to our aspirations- a reason why social networking is so popular.

Social networking sites are not just to make new friends and relationships. Most use it for the purpose of increasing contacts, friend circle, to be part of communities etc. But at the end of the day just like in an unmediated environment these define your social standing in this virtual set-up. There is a great scope of acceptance if you are part of the community made for “Coldplay”, “Save the Tiger”, “Manchester United” etc whether you are really interested or not.

This process of acceptance is also a form of self gratification. When devoid of social approval in real life we look for that in the garb of anonymity. It is easier for us to forge our real identities and create a profile using text, audio, video, that generates maximum clicks. The more the clicks the more popular we become.

When I see it closely, I feel we are eventually “selling” ourselves. The whole process of’ profiling’ revolves around the advertising model of AIDA. Let us bring ‘Cool Boy’ into the picture. His USP is that he is ‘cool’. He has named himself in a peculiar way to attract ATTENTION, created a profile to increase INTEREST of the visitor. If his profile is DESIRABLE to anyone, that person may ACT by accepting the friend request. By embellishing our identities to gain acceptance we have reduced ourselves to mere toothpaste.

The real danger though is not really in becoming toothpaste but to fall prey to social network predators. Especially in case of growing adults who are prone to experimenting with new things. In their search of acceptance they become victims of online abuse, bullying and identity theft. Researchers say social-networking sites are shortening attention spans, encouraging instant gratification, and making people more self-focused.

It is left to us whether we choose to live in the reality or become a virtual schizophrenic. The dire need to be socially accepted may make us forget who we really are. There is no contention in having a profile on a social network. We need to be careful in choosing who we are interacting with and what we are projecting ourselves to be.

If ‘Cool Boy’ is listening and is able to profile the real self, let’s see if then people “do friendship” with him or not!